Sample Word Journal

BLOOD in Act 1

1.a. Quotation & speaker

Duncan: “What bloody man is that? He can report,/ As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt/ The newest state” (1.2.1-3).

b. Paraphrase and clarification

Who is that bloody man? It looks like he has been fighting against the revolt and can give us the latest news of the battle.

King Duncan is on or near the battlefield and wants to know how the fighting is going.

c. Conclusions.

First quote- no comparison yet. Duncan trusts a bloody solider whose blood gives him the authority to report on the battle.

2. a. Quotation & speaker

Captain: “For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name),/ Disdaining Fortune with his brandished steel,/ which smoked with bloody execution,/ Like valor’s minion, carved out his passage/ Till he faced the slave…” (1.2.18-22)

b. Paraphrase and clarification

In spite of our troops’ bad luck brave Macbeth carved his way with his executioner’s sword through the ranks of rebel soldiers until he faced the traitor who led the revolt.

The captain reports to King Duncan that Macbeth fought fiercely to spill the blood of the traitors who rebelled against Duncan and Scotland.

c. Conclusions

In the first passage, the loyal Scottish caption is bloody because of the rebels’ uprising. Because of his bravery, fierceness, and loyalty, Macbeth makes the rebels bloody.

3. a. Quotation & speaker

Lady Macbeth: “ Make thick my blood./ Stop up th’ access and passage to remorse…” (1.5.50-51).

b. Paraphrase and clarification

Make my blood thick so that I can be cold hearted and feel no sorrow of guilt about planning this murderer.

Lady Macbeth wants to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan. In order to do so, she hopes to become more mannish and heartless.

c. Conclusions

Early in the play, soldiers get bloody as they try to overthrow Scotland. When Scottish soldiers get bloody overthrowing the rebels. Lady Macbeth wants to overthrow King Duncan, so she is now going to have to get bloody too. But before she can make Duncan’s blood flow, she is going to have to change her blood- slow it down and make it cold. She talks as if she can change her personality by changing her blood.

General Conclusions for Act 1:

1. In Act 1 it is a good thing to be bloody, especially for men to be bloody- the king trusts the bloody solider and the people admire Macbeth because he ahs a bloody sword and has killed many of the rebels. Lady Macbeth thinks it might be good for her and her husband to be bloody- she wants to be strong and manly also in order to kill Duncan: Political and sexist power.
2. Even before we meet him, Macbeth is bloody- he comes on stage with a bloody sword. His personality is set.